Rings n Things
by notmarge
Summary: Alice and Hatter talk about rings n things.


**I do not own Syfy's Alice. It's just beautiful.**

**Rings n Things**

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Alice knocked on the door of Hatter's apartment at ten o'clock in the morning. There was silence for a few seconds, then movement from within. A moment later, Hatter opened the door. He was wearing a white undershirt and black lounge pants. His feet were bare and hairy. His dark hair was mussed and he had a five o'clock shadow on his defined jaw.

"Breakfast!" she exclaimed, smiling and holding up a brown bag.

Hatter moved back and welcomed her into his small apartment. It had temporarily belonged to Jack during his courtship of Alice. Now it belonged to Hatter, bequeathed by Jack himself as a way of helping Hatter assimilate himself into Alice's world. Along with the apartment, Jack had also provided some startup money, proper citizenship documents, a crash course in the workings of Alice's world, and a stern warning to care for Alice upon pain of death.

The apartment was plain and sparsely furnished. Hatter didn't mind, seeing as he arrived from Wonderland with so very little, aside from his love for Alice. The apartment consisted of a living room, bedroom, bathroom, and eat in kitchen. It was into this last room that Alice strode, her long black hair swinging in a bouncy ponytail. Hatter followed her, admiring the view of her comfortable yet well-fitting jeans and thin blue blouse.

Alice placed her bag on the counter and twirled around to hug and kiss Hatter. He was more than happy to accommodate her and they stayed in each other's arms for a few moments, saying hello. When she finally let him go, she turned back to the brown bag and emptied its contents. Three small containers, one regular milk, one chocolate milk, and one orange juice. Several decadent little pastries wrapped in wax paper. And, of course, napkins.

Hatter looked at the brunch fare and quipped, "Oi, love, who's going to eat all this?"

Alice grinned and said, "I thought you might like to try a bit of everything."

_I certainly would_, Hatter thought cheekily, _when the time is right._

They sat together and enjoyed their breakfast. They laughed. They discussed various things. They smiled. They touched often and gazed into each other's eyes. They fed themselves and playfully fed each other as well. Alice discovered that Hatter had a sweet tooth for the orange juice and the pastries. The pastries with nuts and honey were his favorite.

"How's your job working out?" Alice asked.

Hatter had procured employment the a couple of weeks at a tea shop a few blocks away. He had been walking along, enjoying the city when he'd discovered it. A little shop, tucked between clothing stores. The owner had been all alone behind the counter when Hatter entered the shop, tickling the little bell above the door. He had requested a soothing cup of tea and when the owner presented it to him, they started talking. About teas. Herbs. They sat there for quite some time, deep in discussion.

When a rushed customer arrived in the store, Hatter observed her rattled disposition and suggested a slight variation on the order. After some annoyance at the presumptive Hatter, the woman took the suggestion and discovered he was completely right. She gave the owner a generous tip and heartfelt thanks to Hatter. Hatter returned with a charming smile and a tip of hat. The owner hired him on the spot. He'd been working there ever since. Business was picking up exponentially.

Hatter nodded and swallowed his food before speaking. "Quite well, actually. It's nice working in proper tea shop where you can affect emotions and mood with herbs and not drugs."

After cleaning up their wrappings, Alice excused herself to the bathroom. Hatter went into his small bedroom and brushed his hair. When Alice returned to him, she smirked, and ran her fingers through his thick hair, messing it up again. Hatter wrapped his arms around her waist and let her, enjoying the feel of her fingers in his thick hair. He managed to steal a kiss though he didn't have to try very hard.

Something shiny caught Alice's attention and she moved over to the dresser. She picked up the small silver circles, twirling them in her strong, delicate fingers. Hatter's four rings. He didn't wear them anymore, but here they were.

"Are these wedding rings?" she asked, still playing with them.

Hatter lack of comprehension was obvious. "What are wedding rings?" he inquired.

Alice thought for a moment. _Where to start?_ In the living room of course. With Hatter in the room with her, the bed was staring at her. Laying down the rings, she left the bedroom and walked into the living room. She sat on the couch and patted the seat next to her. Hatter sat down and faced her, curious.

"Well," she began, "sometimes when a man and woman love each other very much and want to spend their lives together, they get married. They promise to take care of each other and love each other all their lives. They give each other silver or gold rings to wear on the third finger of their left hands. The rings symbolize to themselves and other people that they are commited to each other romantically and as companions for each other forever. Then they have a ceremony in front of their family. Then they're married and they live together and take care of each other."

Alice stopped, wondering if she'd left anything out. Hatter seemed to consider this for a moment. Then, without speaking, he rose from the couch and disappeared into his bedroom. _Have I said too much?_ Alice wondered.

Hatter returned to the room and knelt on the floor in front of the couch and Alice. He held up one of the smaller silver rings that he had worn on his pinky in Wonderland.

"Alice," he said, gazing directly into her beautiful blue eyes and speaking sincerely from his heart, "I love you. I want to spend my life with you. I promise to take care of you and love you forever."

He held up the ring in his fingers, offering it to her.

"Will you be married to me?" he asked.

Alice sat, stunned, for a moment, without speaking. He waited patiently. Finally, she smiled.

"Yes, Hatter, I will be married to you," she declared, beaming.

She looked so radiant, Hatter reached forward, still his knees, and kissed her passionately. She kissed him back, pleasantly shocked at the turn of events.

He let her go and placed the ring on her finger, kissing it. Alice completely melted. Hatter sat back on his heels, looking quite happy.

"So, when's this ceremony thing?" he asked, innocently.

Alice looked at him for a few seconds, then burst into sweet laughter. She leaned back against the back of the couch and laughed happily. Hatter didn't know exactly what was so funny but he trusted Alice and knew she wasn't laughing cruelly. Not his Alice.

She slipped off the couch and into his arms, kissing him fervently. He kissed her back and they fell backward onto the floor, tangled up in each other's arms. Laughing and kissing. Cuddling and touching. After several impassioned minutes, Alice rolled off of him and onto the floor. Laying on her stomach and propping her head in her hand, she ruffled his hair adoringly. He stretched out on his side and stroked her face.

After some discussion and a lot more affection, they reached a workable plan. Today was Monday. They would talk to Alice's mother together tonight and move Alice's things into his apartment on Friday morning. Since neither of them had many people to invite to this event, they would invite Alice's mother along to visit the justice of the peace with them on Friday afternoon. They would get their work schedules rearranged so they could spend all the weekend finally consummating their new bond.

Alice didn't quite know how her mother was going to react. This was all moving very quickly, but it felt right with no doubts in her mind. Alice did know she needed to leave this apartment soon before she gave in to her baser instincts. Friday evening wasn't that long off. She could wait. Especially if she left soon.

Fortunately, they both had outside obligations. Alice had a karate class to teach in a couple of hours and Hatter was scheduled at the tea shop. After some more affections and promises, they reluctantly left the apartment together, arm in arm.

It was a good day for rings and things.

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**Hope you've enjoyed this short bit o' fluff. Thanks for reading.**

**For some darker reading, I've also written a Hatter backstory that can be a companion piece to this called "Before Alice". Check it out.**

**You are welcome to review if you wish.**


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